Live Like Julia — One Week Finished, a Lifetime to Savor

Last Friday, I committed to a week of test-driving one of the rules from Julia Child Rules by Karen Karbo: Live Like Julia. I chose Rule #6: To Be Happy, Work Hard. Today, I finally had the sort of day that I imagined when I commenced the week. I spent hours on my project, sunk so deeply in the work that I was barely aware of the passage of time. And, yes, this made me very happy.

As Karen Karbo says:

Throwing ourselves into hard work can be deeply gratifying, and mastering a skill is a satisfaction in and of itself, but the reality of this has largely fallen out of favor. p. 136

I encourage everyone to find a project to complete or a skill to master, because none of the things that our society calls fun are any where near as pleasing as an adventure of one’s own making. Consuming stuff, whether material goods or the output from the screens in our lives, doesn’t make us as happy as the act of creation. One of the best parts of finding a project that makes me happy is that I get to work hard on it again tomorrow.

What project, skill, or adventure are you ready to launch?

Comments

Live Like Julia — One Week Finished, a Lifetime to Savor — 7 Comments

Satia on August 31, 2013 at 5:18 am said:

For so long, my focus and drive has been on finding a job. The other day I realized that I really had no other goal or project in my life. To do anything else, when my husband strives to make ends meet, feels self-indulgent. That isn’t to say that I don’t do anything else. Mostly I read books when I’m not trying to find a job.

With that said, today my daughter-in-law and a friend of mine are coming over and we’re going to be creating vision boards. My friend and I did this a few months ago, focusing on our physical space, our homes. This time we will focus on something else. For me, I am asking myself where I want to be in 5 and 10 and maybe even 15 years. I’ll let the images I find in magazines guide me in finding answers. Maybe I’ll find something surprising.

Reply ↓
Joyful Reader on August 31, 2013 at 6:17 am said:

That is one of the ethics we are teaching our kids. To work hard and get the job done. There is great satisfaction in seeing your completed task. (well, two of the three are doing well with this) 🙂

Reply ↓
Denise @ Do you have that in my size??? on August 31, 2013 at 7:35 pm said:

I think the closest thing I have to a project, skill, or adventure that’s coming up is going back to school. Sadly, it’s been postponed until January but that means I can read more for entertainment in the meantime, so that’s a good thing!

Reply ↓
Pingback:Sunday Salon — September 1 | Joy's Book Blog
Karen Karbo on September 1, 2013 at 9:15 am said:

Hi Joy,
Sometimes it does take a while to get into the flow of working hard. I sometimes find it frustrating. I’ll block out a few hours or a few days or whatever, and believe that since I’ve blocked out the time, I should be able to instantly dive into my work and be happy. But sometimes it takes more time than we’d like it to. For me, the important thing is to just stick with it and not toss in the towel and check my email. Why do I think Julia didn’t have those problems?
~Karen

Reply ↓
Deb Stone on September 1, 2013 at 12:13 pm said:

So true that consumption does not make me happy. Working hard does but in the midst of it when the sweat beads on the forehead or the words don’t flow, the lure of some sweet thing (edible, physical, or imagined) seems more attractive than gearing down for slow steady progress on a long hill. That is, until I’m on top, going, “Whew! It’s great to be here.”

Reply ↓
Laurie C on September 7, 2013 at 9:43 am said:

Congratulations on your successful experiment! My past is littered with unfinished projects! I think that’s why I like cooking/baking. Each cooking project not only has a clearly visible purpose, but also has a clear-cut beginning and end.

Reply ↓